People like to say "It’s not a diet, it’s a lifestyle." Phooey, I say. If I thought that for the rest of my life I couldn’t have a doughnut, I’d probably just throw away my scale and let the sprinkles fall where they may.
Instead, I tell myself that dieting is temporary. Diets assert that carbs are of the devil, but their soft, filling appeal will have you wrestling with your soul. Soon you make deals about repenting tomorrow with 50 squats at 5 a.m. followed by raw vegetables for lunch.
On a whole, I just prefer to eat a variety of well-cooked food from across the board, vegan to Greek to Julia Child. I know, on singular occasions, that french fries taste better than egg-white omelets and that chocolate-filled croissants beat any salad I can dream up.
Eating well means having healthful food more often than unhealthful food, and nutritious food should also be delicious as often as possible.
Recently I was stirring up a batch of fried rice that had me weeping over those delicious little grains. Fried rice and fried noodles are tops in comfort foods for me, and I miss them terribly when they’re on my forbidden list.
So I set about looking for some kind of replacement. A little meat, a little vegetable, followed up by a tendril of egg. Instead of rice, I threw in some grated zucchini. I’ve made zucchini noodles cut with my mandoline as well, but if you have no mandoline or just prefer to make this a quick meal, a grater comes in handy. When you’re dieting, the faster you can make food, the better.
Cauliflower stalk is something I finally realized is just as useful and delicious as the rest of the cauliflower. It takes a bit more cooking than the florets, so think of it like broccoli stalk.
I’m not going to try to convince you that this version "tastes just like the real thing!" because we both know I’d be lying. Instead, I’ll tell you that it’s delicious, and you’ll be able to look dinner in the eye again.
FRIED ‘RICE’
2 teaspoon coconut oil
1 cup cauliflower stalk and leaves
1 red or yellow bell pepper
1 small onion
1 small carrot, peeled
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup ham (sliced from a whole ham, not deli meat)
3 slices bacon
1-1/2 teaspoons soy sauce or coconut aminos
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 medium zucchini, grated
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Chop cauliflower stalk, bell pepper, onion, and carrot into very small dice, about 1/4-inch.
Over high, heat coconut oil in wok or pan. Add all vegetables at once and stir-fry, tossing vegetables quickly with a wooden spoon. After a few minutes, onion should be translucent and vegetables should start sweating.
Mince garlic and chop ham and bacon in very small dice. Add garlic and meats to pan and toss repeatedly. Keep frying until veggies seem mostly dry, a couple minutes more.
Add soy sauce, sesame oil, salt and pepper. Stir and then make a little pocket on side of pan for eggs. Pour in eggs and stir to cook like scrambled eggs.
Once eggs are cooked, add zucchini. Toss until zucchini is just tender. Be careful: This quickly goes from fresh and light to soggy. Serve while still hot. Serves 2 to 3.
Nutritional information unavailable.
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Mariko Jackson blogs about family and food at www.thelittlefoodie.com.
